Kohistani Embroidery – part 2

Here are three more pieces of Kohistani embroidery from my collection. The square piece I bought in Kabul in 1974 and it was probably used to cover flat bread and keep the flies off. The other two pieces were originally a single pillow cover. I found them in a bazaar in the Swat Valley in 1983. I have no idea of their exact ages, but they were old when I found them. My best guess would be late 19th Century – early 20th Century, leaning a bit towards the older date, especially for the square piece. I never saw a piece of this quality in the bazaars again.

“Ill-advised; Ill-equipt; I was against it from the start.” Hugh Swift – Funky Trekking Motto

Links

“The third stage, above the barracks, consisted of warehouses, bakeries, kitchens, and other residential rooms. The view from this stage is magnificent, but the way to it should only be attempted by the most ardent enthusiasts”

Nancy Hatch Dupree [describing the horrendous climb to the top of Shar-i-Zohak, the ruins of a castle destroyed by Genghis Khan, at the entrance to the Bamiyan Valley] – An Historical Guide to Afghanistan (1977)